Available From UC Press

The first career guide specifically tailored to the unique needs of international STEM PhDs
 
For foreign-born, temporary visa-holding scientists in the US, building a career while navigating the antiquated and restrictive American immigration system takes resilience and creativity. As a fellow immigrant scientist and a professional development advisor for international doctoral students in engineering and the natural sciences, Sonali Majumdar draws on her expertise to empower international scientists to flourish in any career.
 
Unlike other professional development guides, Thriving as an International Scientist foregrounds the unique needs and skills of immigrant STEM PhDs at all career stages and across diverse sectors. Through best practices of professional development and career design as well as stories of international scientists, the book also provides concrete, culturally competent tools for managers, faculty advisors, and other mentors. With a combination of hard-nosed advice and nurturing encouragement, Majumdar delivers a much-needed guide to help these overlooked scientists forge a successful career path.
 

“International scientists walk a hard road that features its own distinctive obstacle course. Sonali Majumdar has been down that road, and Thriving as an International Scientist is the perfect guidebook for a student, postdoc, or early career scientist looking to navigate it today.”—Leonard Cassuto, author of Academic Writing as if Readers Matter

“Thriving as an International Scientist is a groundbreaking contribution that fills a long-overdue gap in the literature. Authored by an international scientist and centered on the lived experiences of international scholars, this book gives voice to a global community often overlooked in professional development discourse. An essential resource for institutions, mentors, and scholars committed to building a more inclusive and globally engaged STEM community.”—Fanta Aw, CEO and Executive Director of NAFSA: Association of International Educators

“Sonali Majumdar has crafted a must-read for the nearly half of US STEM graduate students and postdocs who are, as she was, international scholars. Enlivened by countless stories, Majumdar navigates opaque US immigration regulations; animates bold life decisions; illuminates pathways for support, growth, validation, and well-being; and celebrates the crucial truth that international scientists bring fresh identities, perspectives, experience, and leadership that elevate innovation and science itself. Moreover, Thriving as an International Scientist is packed with wisdom—implicit and explicit—for domestic trainees, mentors, scholars, and policymakers.”—Keith Yamamoto, Professor Emeritus and Special Advisor for Science Policy and Strategy, University of California, San Francisco

“International graduate students and postdocs constitute the engine of much of the most exciting science in the US, and through their participation they establish and refine their own creative and professional character. Sonali Majumdar has written precisely the kind of guide that international scientists crave in order to succeed as resilient and brilliant scientists.”—Itai Yanai, Professor, New York University Grossman School of Medicine